Bleeding Intensity Following Tooth Extraction Is Moderated by Anxiety Independently of Treatment with anticoagulants– Development of an Internet Based Questionnaire Across Countries

Abstract 4364

Anticoagulation with dose adjusted vitamin-K antagonists (VKA, therapeutic range of the international normalized ratio (INR) of 2 to 3) and low dose aspirin (65 to 330 mg daily) enhance bleeding following tooth extraction. However, intensity of bleeding varies substantially between patients. Guidelines disagree regarding interruption or continuation of anticoagulation for tooth extraction. We hypothesized that personality traits may moderate bleeding intensity under anticoagulation.

A total of 180 patients (77 female, 103 male, 49.9+15.3 years (mean, standard deviation)) underwent tooth extraction without interruption of anticoagulation. Sixty three patients did not take any anticoagulant (group 1), 60 patients were on aspirin (group 2), and 57 patients on VKA (INR 2–3, group 3). Patients completed a validated state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI), a personality inventory with 12 dimensions (Freiburg personality inventory (FPI)), and a self-developed questionnaire on general attitudes regarding general feeling and anxiety before tooth extraction. Dentists (JF, PH) rated bleeding intensity ranging from 0 to 9 according a standardized protocol.

Intensity of bleeding after tooth extraction was higher in group 3 (score <5 in 40%, score >5 in 60% of patients) compared to groups 1 (40% and 60%) and 2 (53% and 47%) and higher in group 2 compared to group 1 (p<0.005, chi-square test) as expected. Higher anxiety values in STAI questionnaire correlated positively with higher bleeding scores (p<0.0001). High values of some of the FPI dimensions correlated positively with self-consciousness (p<0.0001), physical complaints (p<0.001), and emotionality (p<0.0001) life, and negatively with satisfaction (p<0.02) and extraversion (p<0.003) without differences between groups 1 to 3. Anxiety symptoms of the self questionnaire were identified as moderating factor on bleeding intensity following tooth extraction independently of anticoagulation (p<0.0001) according multinominal regression analysis. Other items of the self questionnaire such as physiological stress symptoms, regular performance of visits, bad experience with dentists, and pains during tooth extraction did not influence bleeding intensity.

A short questionnaire is developed to identify the anxiety score of patients as a tool for a non pharmaceutical medical intervention to reduce bleeding complications following tooth extraction. Because differences of the moderating effect of bleeding by personality traits may exist between cultures, the questionnaire will be made available across countries www.blutverduennung.uni-hd.de